Two Seconds to Midnight
by Alien Explosion
Summary: [A/U Wutai-Shinra War] Wutai attempts to gain the upper hand in the war with Shinra Inc. through infilitration of the company. But can they count on their newest spy to do his job without letting his feelings stop him? Ch 6: Wutai's siege
1. Rendezvous in Midgar

Disclaimer: SquareSoft owns FF7. 'Nuff said.

Author's Note: This story actually begins a bit before the Wutai-Shinra war and then goes into the war itself. All the characters are pretty much the same ages, but since this is an A/U, some of their roles are different. Okay, I'm done. Enjoy!

1. Rendezvous in Midgar

In the east wing of Junon's military base, a tall figure strode down the hall, his head down, and his mind deep in thought. He was on his way home; first to the front desk to sign out, and then to the soldiers' quarters, which was only a few blocks away. But for him, this wasn't just any ordinary trip home. Today had been a strange day indeed, and he contemplated it as he walked. After all, life gets pretty weird on your first day as a-

"OW!" he yelled as he collided with someone.

"O-oh no..." stuttered the small man he bumped into, "I-I'm terribly s-sorry s-s-sir...I-I didn't mean to bump-"

"Hey hey, it's fine, Gary. And you don't have to call me sir. Just Cloud."

"B-but you're a SOLDIER n-now..."

Cloud shrugged. "Yeah, but it's not like I'm General Sephiroth or something. Anyway, the formalities don't matter with us two. I mean, we're still pals, right?"

"O-okay Cl-Cloud, sir." Gary hurried past him, rushing into a nearby elevator and averting his eyes from the SOLDIER. Cloud sighed. Gary used to eat lunch with him when they were only recruits. Now the poor guy was terrified of him just because he had finally become a SOLDIER. 

That was what had been troubling Cloud Strife. Today was his first day as a full-fledged SOLDIER, fourth class. It was a title he had sought for so long, and he was overwhelmed with pride after General Sephiroth, commander of SOLDIER, had promoted Cloud the day before. So today, instead of falling in with his old comrades, he stood at attention with other SOLDIERs; instead of eating in the commissary, he ate at a special SOLDIER dining hall; and instead of donning the regular blue uniform, he wore a navy blue sleeveless turtleneck and pants. 

After signing out, Cloud left the building and walked out onto the empty street. Not a soul around. Good thing too. He had grown weary of old 'friends' coming up and congratulating him on his promotion. Each time, they tried to brown nose their way into a good word made by Cloud to their commanding officer. Damn suck ups. Cloud was never like that. Kissing asses wasn't his way of-

CRASH.

What was that?

Cloud spun around, looking around vigilantly. Another bang interrupted the silence, and he thought he saw something moving from the alley behind the building. His hand reached over his head, clasping the handle of the buster sword on his back. Cautiously, he crept over to the shadows towards the side of the building. He entered the alley, sword drawn and ready for anything. Cloud looked around and saw nothing.

From behind, he heard footsteps. Cloud spun around. No one was there. His pulse raced, and he became more alert. Someone was there, watching him-

"A little jumpy, aren't we Cloud?"

Cloud spun around, and gazed directly into the face of the intruder, right before darkness fell over him.

-----------------------------------------------

"You're really done it this time, my boy," said a gruff voice, "you've reeeally done it."

"Oh come on, Staniv, we couldn't have predicted this. He just stepped out and surprised me, I honestly didn't know what to do!" insisted someone familiar. He was using a sort of innocent tone as he spoke.

"Right, and I've got some swampland in Cosmo Canyon I'd like to sell you. I know you well enough to know what your real intentions were. I would think you'd know better than to go recruiting during infiltration missions-"

"-Well, I guess you thought wrong then."

Staniv sighed. "Hmm...I see that your 'recruit' is coming around."

Cloud's blue eyes flickered open as the conversation awakened him. He attempted to lift his head, but a pain from the left side stopped him. He groaned as he put his hand over the bump.

"Sorry about that, buddy," said the dark haired man standing over him. "Kinda had to hit you before you could hit me." He held up his hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

The SOLDIER blinked twice, and stared once again into the face he had met in the alley.

"Z-Zack?!" 

Zack glanced at his hand. "No, looks more like six. Nice try though."

Cloud quickly (though painfully) sat up, and gaped at his old friend incredulously. Same messy hair, same dark eyes…same _sarcasm_...yes, this really was Zack Kurozaki, his old friend and fellow SOLDIER recruit. He had disappeared from Junon 2 weeks ago, and SOLDIER had launched an investigation. Rumors had spread that he had been tortured and killed by environmental terrorists, naturally worrying his comrades in SOLDIER. But now, here he was, standing right beside Cloud's bed, looking as healthy as ever. 

"Y-you're a-alive...?!" Cloud stuttered. "You're not...dead?"

"Oh damn, I knew there was something I forgot to do," said Zack amusedly. "I really need to check my day planner more often…"

"Zack, you...you disappeared...you just dropped out of sight..."

"Well, not exactly. You could say that I've only…disappeared from SOLDIER, and the Shinra."

"The Shinra? What are-" Cloud stopped as his eyes finally fell upon the blue-clad man standing behind Zack. "...Er, who is this?"

"My name is Staniv Laotsu," he replied, before Zack could do the honor. "Adviser to Lord Godo of Wutai." Staniv put out his hand.

"Wutai? ...Zack, what on earth are you doin' hanging out with backwards Wutaians?"

Staniv brought his hand down furiously and made an about face for the door, "I am not going to deal with such an _ill-mannered_-"

"-Come on Staniv, please," Zack started as he stopped Staniv from exiting the room. "It's the bump on his head! He's delirious! He doesn't know what he's talking about! ...Look, just let me talk to him. Please."

Staniv shot a dirty glance at Cloud, but then quietly nodded to Zack. Zack, in return, mouthed a 'thank you' and came back over to Cloud's bed as Staniv exited.

"Look, I guess I'd better explain what's going on here," he said, pausing to think. After a few moments, he looked up at his friend. "Cloud, at this moment we are chatting in a room located 500 feet below the streets of Junon. It's one of a series of little-known passageways under the city, and I believe Staniv said that these tunnels were built as a base over a century ago by some tribe or something. Anyway, today it's the Junon Headquarters of the CATALYST agency."

"CATALYST? Never heard of it."

Zack grinned. "You shouldn't have, because we're not affiliated with the Shinra in any way. This is a covert agency; it was set up by Lord Godo of Wutai some time ago to keep tabs on his enemies."

"Like who, Shinra, Inc.?"

"Specifically, yeah. The guy never trusted the Shinra, even from the start. Anyway, this organization's main objective is to...well, spy on them, and ensure that no dealings that would harm Wutai or any other nation are situating within the company. See, Cloud, we still don't trust Shinra because we've all gotten to a point in time where Shinra, Inc. has the capability of achieving world dominance if desired, and Lord Godo wants to prevent, or at least level the playing field in the event of war." 

The SOLDIER sat up, rubbing the bump on his head and staring at Zack as though he were a stranger. "Man…did you memorize all that?" 

Zack made a sort of surprised sound. After a moment, he started to chuckle. "Yeah, guess I kind of did. I've heard Staniv say that stuff so many times to new recruits."

"So anyway," Cloud continued, "You're telling me that you all just..._suspect_ that Shinra, Inc. has some devious plan up their sleeve just because your boss has a hunch that they're bad guys?" Cloud paused for a moment and then started laughing. "Zack, what kind of crackpots have you been hanging out with? And-and I'll bet they've…heh heh…_brainwashed_ you, huh?" Cloud continued to laugh idly, while Zack didn't utter so much as a chuckle.

"What makes you say that?" he asked humorlessly.

"Well, you're acting like one of those…dumbass Shinra rebels or something!"

Zack glared at Cloud furiously. "And do you want to know why I became a 'dumbass Shinra rebel'?" he asked harshly. Cloud ceased laughing. "I'll tell you." Zack continued. "It was because of those SOLDIER assholes I called comrades, who treated every citizen they met like crap and took joy in shoving them into the street and spitting on them. It was because of my damn superiors, who wouldn't do anything about it but give me petty excuses. It was because of that son of a bitch president, who allows all of this to happen while he sits in his office, counting all the money he's stolen from his thousands of customers. But most of all, Cloud…it was because I realized that _one_ corporation was behind all oppression and cruelty on an entire continent, and that _I_ was part of that corporation."

Zack Kurozaki stood before Cloud Strife, a far different man that the one who befriended him when he first enlisted years ago. This man was passionate, daring, and just…he was like a hero you'd find in a comic book. Cloud would have never thought in a million years that his old buddy would turn into…well, a romantic.

Zack, who had gone silent after his speech, finally spoke up again, calmer now. "Cloud, I'm just asking you to fight for a cause. A patriotic cause. We need you to join."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Cloud said quickly as he got up from the bed, "I think it's my turn to talk about what's been going on with _me_. Look, I don't know if you've heard, but I was just promoted to SOLDIER. Now I know that it's not really a big deal for you because you've been in SOLDIER before, but Zack, I've wanted this for so long. Ever since I was a kid. And now, you come back and just ask me to give up all that glory for some, some...rebellion that has the potential to get me executed? Well my answer is 'hell no, I'll pass.'"

Zack stared at Cloud intently. He hadn't imagined that it would be this hard to get his old buddy to side with him. He was about to speak when the door opened. It was Staniv.

"Highwind says that he wants you to come with me to Midgar tomorrow. Says that there are some level 7 files he cannot gain access to, and it is imperative that we take a look at them."

"But I've gotta stay here tomorrow Staniv, you know that. Besides, my SOLDIER ID doesn't work anymore."

"Well, you'd better convince him," he said, nodding in Cloud's direction.

Staniv left, and Zack turned again to Cloud, who still looked indifferent. For a while, the two men stood in silence. Finally Zack spoke up.

"She's in Midgar, Cloud."

Cloud looked at him incredulously. "...Who are you talking about?"

"Tifa Lockheart. That's what this is all about, isn't it? Impressing that girl you like? You told me that's why you want to stay in SOLDIER. Hey, I know how you feel. I just got a girlfriend a few weeks ago too. But if you ask me, I think you oughta get your priorities straight before you go do something for love."

Cloud ignored the comment and quickly asked, "How do you know Tifa's in Midgar?"

"You could say I did a little looking into it. I was in Nibelheim a few weeks ago, stopping to rest on our way back to Costa. I decided to visit your family, since I really didn't know anyone. Anyway, the guy at the inn said that your mom had gone to Corel to visit a relative. I was about to leave when the name of that girl you always talked about-Tifa-popped into my head. I figured that it wouldn't hurt to ask, so I did. The innkeeper said that she moved to Midgar with her dad a few years ago, about a few months after her mom died. Right before I left, the guy also mentioned that her father died recently." Zack paused. "...Cloud, he said that some Shinra soldiers killed him. They thought he had stolen some-" 

As Zack spoke, Cloud had grabbed his sword, and now grasped Zack's neck and shoved him up against the wall furiously before he could say anymore. He held up his blade right next to Zack's neck. 

"You're lying," he said venomously.

"Cl-Cloud, I swear, I'm telling the truth!" Zack gasped.

"The truth?! You think you're gonna win me over with that tragic little story of yours? You think I'm an real idiot, don't you?"

"Cloud, I'm not lying! Hasn't your mom told you? Don't you guys…correspond or something?"

"The hell are you talking about? Of course we..."

Cloud trailed off. The anger in his eyes suddenly subsided, and his face wore a stunned expression. He let go of Zack, who slid down the wall to the floor, clutching his neck painfully. Cloud turned away. Zack had to be right...after all, how would Cloud know what was going on in Nibelheim? He hadn't spoken to his mother since he'd left, and there was no way Zack could have known that. 

So after years of begging his superiors to grant him leave to Nibelheim for some R&R, Cloud finally now found out that Tifa, who was the only reason he wanted leave, wasn't even there. But knowing this, his hope of seeing her again began to fade, because he was sure he'd never get a transfer from Junon to Midgar; there were already too many SOLDIERs there. 

He turned to face Zack, who was still sitting on the floor, watching him anxiously. Cloud spoke.

"Fine, I'm in. And I'll be going with your friend to Midgar."

Zack smiled. "You leave tomorrow morning."

---------------------------------------------------

Cloud and Staniv set off for the train station the next morning and Zack wished them luck before they left. The two sat in different cars, because Cloud, who luckily had that day and the rest of the weekend off, would be entering Midgar's upper plate area on his SOLDIER ID, while Staniv would have enter the lower part of the city disguised as an accountant. When he got off of the train, Cloud stood in awe of the tall gate that separated him from the metropolis of Midgar. After showing the guard his ID, explaining that he was here to visit family, Cloud entered an elevator located next to the gate, which took him up to Midgar's upper plate. 

Midgar looked surprisingly cleaner than Cloud had expected, but then again, he was on the upper plate. He walked through the streets, eyeing the buildings with interest. These were certainly taller and more numerous than those in Junon. The tallest of them all was situated right in the center of the city: The Shinra building. It stood like a beacon over Midgar, dominating the entire city with its grandeur.

When they had been discussing plans back in Junon, Cloud was told that he and Staniv would rendezvous at 20:30 at the house of a Mr. Cid Highwind, who lived in the Sector 3 area, near the edge of town. Cloud had been strolling around for a few minutes when he realized that he was completely lost. He looked up at the wall labeled 'Sector 5'. 

"Now," he said to himself, "if I'm in 5, then all I have to do is keep walking...this way, right? Yeah, that's gotta be it. I'll be there in no time. I'll probably beat Staniv by 20 minutes or so too."

----------------------------------------------------

"Where on earth is he?"

Staniv rested impatiently on a couch, staring at the clock on the wall and playing with the fake moustache he had worn as part of his disguise. It was already nine. He didn't expect Cloud to be half an hour late. At first he thought that the guy was probably busy admiring all the sights, this being his first time in Midgar. But really, there wasn't much to see besides the Shinra Building and the reactors. Perhaps he _was_ as dumb as he looked. 

Staniv had developed a…'prejudice' towards Cloud ever since he met him the night before, and began to think of him as a complete idiot for insulting his country.

"I'm sure he'll be here soon," said the woman sitting across from him, who smiled. "Patience is a virtue, Staniv."

"Very true, Matris, but I'm sure even you won't have the patience to deal with a dolt like Cloud."

Staniv grinned back at Matris, casually disregarding the fact that she wouldn't notice. It wasn't that he didn't remember that Matris was blind; it was just easier to talk to her and pretend she could see him. 

Matris was a tall, brunette woman in her early thirties who always wore a pair of dark sunglasses. Despite the loss of her vision in an accidental mako-truck explosion, she went through each day with a strong will and passionate determination. She coordinated most of the CATALYST operations in Midgar, and she was always able to concoct brilliant and ingenious schemes without even looking at maps or charts. Staniv had grown quite fond of her during his trips to Midgar. 

The door to the basement room opened. A man with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes came in, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He glanced at the clock as he came down the stairs.

"Say, your guy shoulda been here 30 minutes ago!" he exclaimed.

"I know," Staniv answered.

"Look, do you think he's gonna be here soon? It's gettin' pretty late."

"I really don't know. I just met this guy last night. I'm very sorry we're taking up so much of your time, Cid."

Cid threw away his used cigarette and took out another one. "Nah, it's alright. Doesn't bother me too much, it's just that-"

A buzzer nearby the door rang loudly. Cid got up. "Hey, that's probably him now, eh?"

He ran up the stairs and left the room. Staniv could hear his footsteps upstairs as he went for the front door. 

"Well then," Matris began, "Cloud was able to find the house. He doesn't seem that dumb now, does he?"

Staniv chuckled. "Just you wait, Matris."

He wondered if Cloud was capable of completing this mission. Or even if he took it seriously. After all, when he first met the guy, Staniv thought Cloud was more arrogant than Lord Godo's daughter, and that's really saying something. 

__

'It will be fine', he thought to himself. '_Zack told me himself that Cloud is a trustworthy man. Besides, he's also a trained SOLDIER. What could go wrong?'_

The door opened, and Cid stepped in, looking a little confused. "Uh, Staniv?" 

"Yes?"

"You said this Cloud...was a guy, right?"

Staniv's eyebrow shot up. "…Er, yes, what of it?"

Cid shrugged and stepped to the side. A short, bright-eyed teenage girl entered behind him, looking around anxiously. A bladed shuriken dangling from her belt banged on the back of her skinny legs as she walked in. Staniv stood up, staring at her in disbelief. 

"Yuffie?!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, you like? Wait, don't answer that; just review ^__^* Anyway, I borrowed ('borrowed' meaning 'used with permission') the whole spies and anti-Shinra groups (other than AVALANCHE) thing from the story 'War of the World', which is by Seraphim and is also an A/U Wutai war fic. So if you don't have anything better to do, go read it! 


	2. Strategies

Disclaimer: Did you know that SquareSoft owns Super Mario RPG too? Dude, that's so cool!

2. Strategies

"-AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE IN MIDGAR?!?"

"Ow! Staniv, my ears! Stop yelling!! And come on, you gotta give me a break! I was bored at home-"

"-WHEN YOU ARE BORED, YOU DON'T JUST GET UP AND LEAVE THE COUNTRY!!"

"Would you two quiet down?!" Cid said angrily. "You wanna wake up the whole damn city?"

"He's the one making a fuss about it," said Yuffie, plopping down on a couch.

"Well Lady Yuffie, I have reason! You have left Wutai to embark on some absurd adventure without saying a word to your father! Have you no regard for your parents?!"

"Come on, I leave on trips all the time! Dad knows that."

"That is beyond the point! You don't-"

"Staniv, please, settle down," said Matris. "I'm glad I can't see your expression right now."

Staniv sighed and took a breath. Yuffie hoped that he had gotten tired from all that yelling, but unfortunately, he was far from tired. "Yuffie," he continued, "you don't quite understand the gravity of the situation. You know that Wutai and Midgar are on bad relations. If something should happen to you..."

"Hey, I can take care of myself!" 

"Really? Can you go up against a whole unit of Shinra soldiers?"

Yuffie hesitated. "Er...well..."

Staniv continued. "I know that you get restless in Wutai, Yuffie, but your safety is at risk."

"I know. And I'm really sorry, but it gets sooo-"

A knock at the basement door interrupted Yuffie. Cid hurried up the stairs and opened the door a crack.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Dad, Mom says that you shouldn't be inviting friends over in the middle of the night," said the sleepy voice behind the door. He sounded like a teenager. "We're tryin' to sleep." 

"Well tell your mother that it's business!"

The boy yawned. "Yeah, whatever. ...Oh yeah, I think there's someone at the door asking for you." 

Cid left the room again, and there was silence for a few moments. Eventually, Staniv started talking again. "How did you know I was here, by the way?"

"I saw you walking around Sector 5 wearing a mustache, so I decided to follow you and see what was up," she explained. "I thought you were on a date."

"Oh."

"...So were you?"

"No! Of course not!"

Yuffie giggled. "Riiight. What about her?"

"Would you be talking about me, young lady?" Matris inquired. 

"Hehe, maybe."

"Well for your information, we're already going to get married. Our honeymoon will be at the Honeybee Inn, right, snookums?"

"WHAT?!"

"I'm just kidding, Staniv."

"Oh. Er, right, I knew that..." 

"Anyway," said Yuffie, continuing with her story, "I lost you when you went up to the second plate, and it took a while for me to find you again. ...Hey, what _did_ happen to your mustache?"

Staniv grinned, feeling a bit calmer now. He held up the mustache piece. "Shaved."

Yuffie stood up. "Wait a minute, why were you-"

The door opened, and Cid entered again. "You don't happen to have a blonde brother, would ya?" he asked Yuffie.

"No..."

"Oh thank god," he muttered, letting Cloud in. "If Staniv was gonna start yellin' again, I swear I would've ripped his damn vocal cords out."

"What's going on?" asked Cloud. "Who's this?"

"Cloud Strife, this is Matris, our operations coordinator," said Staniv. The two shook hands after Matris found Cloud's. Staniv continued. "And I present to you Lady Yuffie Kisaragi, daughter of Lord Godo," said Staniv, "Lady Yuffie, this is Cloud."

"Er...hello, Lady-"

"-Just Yuffie," she interrupted.

"Okay, Yuf-wait a minute, why is she here?"

"It's a long story," said Matris.

"Anyway," Staniv said, "Lady Yuffie, I'm here on some very important business for your father, so I'll figure out how to take you back when we're through."

Yuffie crossed her arms and got back into full-pout mode. "Aw, but I don't _want_ to go-"

"_Yuffie_..." 

The young ninja smirked and dropped back onto the couch. "Now," Staniv began, "we can get down to business."

"Finally," said Matris, clearing her throat. "Cloud, here's the deal. I don't know if anyone has told you yet, but Cid here works for the Shinra air force in Junon. He usually commands C Squadron, but right now he's not on active duty."

"But you're a spy for CATALYST too, right?" said Cloud.

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock," Cid muttered sarcastically. Cloud could tell he was tired. 

"Anyway," Matris continued, "Because he's an officer, he has a lot of access to top level files and intel. But there are some things he can't get to. Mainly classified level 6 and higher files. Now on the other hand, you're a SOLDIER. You have more access. The reason for this is that sometimes they ask only SOLDIERs and maybe a few other people to carry out top secret projects for them."

"And you want me to figure out what their latest project is, right?" said Cloud.

"No," Staniv answered, "we already know what their project is. Cloud, have you ever heard of the 'Junon cannon' project?" 

"Junon cannon? Well, there are a lot of cannons on the base..."

"This one's better than all of 'em," said Cid as he mashed his cigarette butt into the wall. 

"All of them?" Yuffie asked, astonished. She couldn't help but interrupt. "Like..._Combined_?" 

"Yes," said Matris. "It's called a mako cannon."

"People at work have been sayin' it's gonna be huge," Cid remarked. "Rumors are goin' around that it's going to serve as Shinra's new defense system in Junon."

"Why would Junon need a new defense system?" asked Cloud. "We've already got a military base."

"That's what we'd like to know," said Staniv.

Cid strolled across the room to a broken wing part that sat in the corner. He stuck his hand into the open end and pulled out a wrapped bundle, which he placed on the table in front of Matris and began to unwrap.

"Cloud, we will be sending you into the Shinra building," said Matris. "You'll go up to the 50th floor and access the main computers with your ID. Before you do anything, you're going to turn this on," Matris had felt around in the bundle and pulled out a small black box that had 2 buttons on it. She handed it to him. "Press the red button first, then the green one when you're done. This will stop the feed to the security camera systems and loop the video it already has of you at the workstation. Try to be discreet about it.

"Anyway, to the right of the computers there's going to be an outlet. You take this thing out," he took out the other item in the bundle, which was a slightly larger blue box that had a button on top and a cord coming out of it. "and then connect the cord to the outlet. With your ID code, access the main search screen, look up 'Junon cannon' in the search field, select the file, and then press the button on the box."

"...And then...?"

"That's it."

"That's it?"

"The little blue box is programmed to do the rest. It will copy the file to its memory. When it's done, all you have to do is disconnect it, turn off the other box, and then leave. You'll meet Staniv in sector 2 and give it to him."

"Wow," said Cloud as he examined the box. "This all sounds way too easy."

"What did you expect to be doin'?" asked Cid. "Bustin' through a line of Shinra troops? This is spy work kid. We just needed you for this cause you have access."

"I see. So you want me to do this tomorrow?"

"In the morning, preferably," said Staniv, "we'd like to be able to send the files to Lord Godo by tomorrow afternoon."

"Works for me," Cloud replied, suddenly thinking about Tifa. Perhaps he could visit her in the afternoon… 

"Any questions, Cloud?"

"Huh?" he said, snapping out of his daze. "Uh, not really…where we spending the night?"

"We'll go to Matris's house as soon as I've dealt with _her_," Staniv answered, throwing a sharp look towards Yuffie's direction. "We'll have to put _you_ on a train tomorrow."

"Aww Staniv, I don't want to go!" Yuffie pleaded. "Can't I help out?"

"What?!"

"Come on, I'm a ninja! I can help you guys spy or something. I wanna help Wutai too!"

"Absolutely not. It's out of the question-"

"-But it's my country! I have the right to help protect it!"

"Not when you're the daughter of Wutai's leader. You could a very damaging hostage if caught, you know. I am sorry Yuffie, but you're just too important to help us out."

Yuffie crossed her arms sulkily. "Being important sucks."

---------------------------------------------------

Conversation flooded the room as the executives sat around impatiently, waiting for President Shinra to arrive and begin the meeting. No one was really in the mood to have a conference at ten o'clock in the evening, so cups of coffee and strings of curses were being passed around amongst the board members. Reeve Bennis, head of urban planning, shifted in his seat uneasily. After all, who wouldn't be worried? Every executive in the company had been summoned, including the heads of reactor development, the space program, and military intelligence, the leader of the Turks, the vice president...hell, even General Sephiroth of SOLDIER had come to the ridiculously late meeting. At the moment, he stood by the president's seat, waiting with a more patient air than many in the room.

The doors swung open, and President George Shinra walked in, the room silencing as he entered. He toddled over to the head of the table with smug confidence, and addressed his executives that way too.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming on such short notice," he began, "but we have some very crucial matters of business to discuss. Tholacker here will be starting off the meeting."

He sat down, and Henry Tholacker, head of military intelligence, stood up from his seat. "Thank you, Mr. President. Now, I've asked the President here if I could speak first, because I feel that we must bring some attention to the many Shinra resistance groups that have developed into quite a problem both here in Midgar and in Junon. While many of these groups are small, we cannot ignore the fact that many are gaining supporters very rapidly."

"And do you have any idea which groups are developing?" asked President Shinra.

Tholacker nodded, and motioned for the Turk standing behind him to come forward. "I've asked the Turks to look into it," he said, "and I believe Mr. Valentine here has the results from his investigation."

Vincent Valentine, the raven-haired leader of the Turks, looked over the board members with sharp eyes. He cleared his mouth quietly before speaking. "The Sons of Junon, which was a major group last year, is still picking up members, but its influence is dying down," he said in a soft voice. "We've captured many of the leaders of the Sector 1 Rebels, the Planet's Protectors, and the Anti-Mako Alliance, but the Shinra Libertarians and the Insurgents of Sector 7 are still gaining more members each day.

"But by far the most dangerous group out there is AVALANCHE. They are notorious for instigating many riots in the slums, and they were also the ones who bombed the sector 1 reactor last week. During that bombing, we were able to capture 4 members, but they refused to talk under torture, so they were executed. The other 5 members remain on the loose."

"Why weren't measures taken to prevent the bombing of sector 1's reactor?" the President questioned.

"That would be my fault, sir," said Tholacker. "I had failed to establish sufficient reconnaissance last week, and was not able to gain knowledge of the bombing beforehand."

"See to it that it doesn't happen again." 

"Yes sir." Tholacker sat back down.

"Now, I'm sure that it is evident to you all by now that these rebels are getting their voice heard in the streets. While this may only seem like a small matter to be handled by the police and military intelligence, in truth this affects all divisions of this company. Lord Godo's recent refusal to sanction the construction of a reactor in Wutai has boosted the influence of these insurgent groups. Unless we build a reactor on that island, resistance to Shinra Inc. will continue to snowball amongst the people, and we will lose our grasp on Midgar and Junon."

"Well what do you propose we do?" asked Heidigger, head of the Peace Preservation Department. "Wutai's old stick-in-the-mud's not gonna be changing his mind about the reactor anytime soon!"

"And despite the fact that we're crushing the groups, we're not actually taking care of the whole problem," said Hayes, head of Reactor Development.

A vile laugh came from the end of the table, and all eyes fell on the young redhead sitting next to the President.

"You think this whole situation is funny, Rufus?" the president questioned.

"Oh, not at all, father," he answered smugly as he sat back in his seat. "It's just that I can't believe that not one person on your board has come up with the obvious solution to the problem."

"And what might that be?"

"A full-scale invasion, of course."

Everyone in the room was taken aback. Stunned conversations began to initiate amongst the executives, and everyone only quieted down when the President yelled over them.

"Please, please, quiet down everyone! We must discuss this first..."

"Sir, I implore you to come up with another resolution," Reeve insisted, standing up. "I mean, for God's sake, we're an energy company! We cannot just invade a country because of a business dispute!"

"Mr. President, I agree with Reeve," said General Sephiroth, speaking for the first time. "There is a strong chance that this invasion could lead to war, and nothing but death and bloodshed can result from that. As commander of SOLDIER, I strongly recommend that you object this idea of invasion to settle the matter."

"Well, I think that the vice president has come up with a brilliant idea," said Scarlet, another executive. "If we invade, not only will we gain Wutai, but we will also cripple any Shinra resistance existing anywhere in the world!"

"But think of the people-" Reeve started.

"-Screw the damn people!" Rufus interrupted. "Look Dad, when we have Wutai, the entire world will be opened up to us. We'll be able to build reactors anywhere. Hell, not just reactors, even cities. The possibilities are endless." Rufus got up and started to walk around the table. He glanced intently at each executive, not just his father, and spoke with a fiery presence that matched his striking gaze. "And think about it. No one would be able to compete with us! We'd be unstoppable! Don't you _want _that?"

President Shinra sat in contemplation for a while. Soon he looked up. "Hojo, what do you think of all this?"

Everyone turned towards Professor Hojo, who stood at the other end of the table. The pale, nearly skeletal man who headed Shinra's science department was the President's closest confidant, and though political affairs weren't his expertise, the President would always go to him whenever he had a significant decision to make.

Hojo stood momentarily surprised, but then answered carefully. "Well Mr. President, we cannot look at morality as an issue. After all, we have the most unconquerable fighting force on the planet, and only a few casualties will be made if we so choose.

"And Mr. Bennis over there _is_ correct. Shinra Inc. is a power company. But think of this invasion as a way of...boosting our profit margins. Every company does that, correct?"

"Hmm, true..."

Reeve maintained his position. "Sir, we cannot sacrifice human lives for-"

"-Reeve, we will not be killing anyone. If we instruct our troops in the correct way, we can take prisoners and invade Wutai, all without creating a death count! Everyone agree?"

Most of the executives began to see the point, and through another convincing speech from vice-president Rufus, even General Sephiroth eventually agreed. Soon, Reeve was the only one in opposition.

"Mr. President! All of you! You're making a big-"

Reeve stopped as a clawed hand dropped onto his shoulder. He quickly looked up at the Turk, who shot him a piercing stare as he squeezed his shoulder. Reeve averted his eyes apprehensively. The president cleared his throat.

"Reeve, you will shut your damn mouth up before I allow Vincent to deal with you," he said sternly. Then he turned back to the rest of the executives. "It's settled then, right? Shinra Inc. will invade Wutai. I would like this plan to be ready for initiation by next week. General Sephiroth, I want you to prepare the troops, but do not leak out news of the offensive yet. Heidigger, I want you to make sure that we have a sufficient weapons supply. I also want you to check on the cannon's progress. What luck; we have a cannon and we're about to invade! Perhaps we could use it to threaten Wutai before invading? Hmm..."

After everyone had been given his or her assignments for preparation, the meeting was adjourned. However, Professor Hojo stayed behind.

"Mr. President, may I have a word?" he asked, walking over to the end of the table.

"Of course, Hojo! You know that you can speak to me at any time." 

"Well, I wanted to wait until the General had left. Sir, I believe that our Ancient search may be over."

President Shinra's eyes widened. "Y-you have found...?"

"Gast and Ifalna's daughter," Hojo replied. He took out a file from under his arm and showed him a picture of a green-eyed brunette. "Aeris. The last Ancient on the planet. She goes under the surname Gainsborough now. She lives in the Sector 5 slums. If we could send a Turk to retrieve her-"

"-Hojo, you know we're preparing to invade Wutai! I've already asked the Turks to continue handling the resistance groups while we organize!"

"But she's just right there in Sector 5-"

"-Well, it's not a problem then, is it? It's not as if she's going to skip town any time soon! This matter can wait."

"Sir, please..."

The president paused at the request, and then said, "Fine, Hojo, I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you very much, Mr. President." He turned to leave, but abruptly stopped at the door. "Sir?"

"Yes, Hojo?"

"Would you please make sure that news of this Ancient does not…slip out?"

"Oh, of course Hojo. Need-to-know basis only. Not even General Sephiroth will have any knowledge of it."

A twisted grin appeared on Hojo's face. "Thank you, sir."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, we're getting into the war. So why is Vincent still a Turk, you ask? You'll see…if you REVIEW! …Sorry, couldn't resist.


	3. in, out, up, and under

Disclaimer: I don't own FF7.

3. in, out, up, and under

"And if anyone asks you what your business is, you say..."

"'Major Weir sent me to retrieve some files.'"

"Very good. You'll be fine, kid."

"Who is Major Weir, anyway?"

Cid shrugged. "Hell if I know. I made him up."

Cloud and Cid were walking around the first floor of the Shinra building. Cid, who was dressed in his officer's uniform, was working today, so he decided to accompany Cloud to the Shinra building that morning. At the moment, he was quickly trying to review the plan before they went in. Cloud clutched the two devices in his pocket as he listened.

"Now when you go in, walk straight, but don't act like you're a big shot or anything," Cid was saying. "You don't wanna attract any attention. It's a Saturday, so not many people are working. They'll notice anything that looks suspicious. Just act normal. And do it quickly. In and out, alright?"

"Right."

They approached the elevators and stepped in. Cid pressed 50 and then 25. "I gotta go up to briefing," he said. "They're sendin' me back to Junon next week for active duty."

"Why?"

"Don't know. I got the call this morning. Anyway, if somethin's up, you'll be sure to hear about it sooner or later." The elevator stopped at 25, and Cid adjusted his tie as he stepped out. "Good luck, kid! You'll do fine, trust me."

"Thanks," said Cloud as the doors closed.

Soon the elevator was speeding skyward again, and finally, it stopped at 50. Cloud found himself in a nice, spacious lobby area. There was a door to the next room, and the sign in front read 'Public Access Computers'. 

Cloud entered and approached a man who sat reading behind a desk.

"Er, excuse me..."

The man looked up, adjusting his thick glasses. "Oh, a SOLDIER? You can use the computers in the back. Just pass your ID through the card scanner next to the monitor, and then you can use it."

Cloud thanked him, and then went to the back, sitting down in a private computer station in the corner and turning it on. He took out the gadgets and proceeded with his mission.

---------------------------------------------------------

It was all over in 5 minutes. He was even out of the building in less time. As Cloud headed for Sector 2, he noticed a congregation of citizens forming outside a Sector 4 weapons shop. He walked towards them to see what was going on.

"Everyone knows Shinra don' give a shit about Midgar!" yelled the brawny black man standing in the middle of the crowd. "They're killin' the city _and _the planet, and they're doin' all of this while sitting nice and comfy in their executive offices, countin' their money! Well, are we gonna jus' stand around and let that happen?!" His listeners responded with a sonorous 'NO!' 

"Damn right! It's our planet too, and we're gonna protect it, for our families, for our kids, and for ourselves!!"

The crowd burst into an uproar. The leader shot his gun-grafted arm into the air, and they began to chant, "AVALANCHE! AVALANCHE!" Cloud had no idea what AVALANCHE was, but thought that he'd better get going, fast. But just as he started to walk away, the leader finally noticed him.

"Hey, look!" he yelled furiously. "There's one of 'em! The hell you starin' at, you spikey-haired Shinra goon?!"

"Uh-oh." Cloud turned to run from the maddening crowd that approached. A shot rang out, and everyone stopped. 

A Shinra trooper had fired. Several other troopers stood behind him, and another spoke through a megaphone. 

"Halt!" he yelled. "This is the Midgar police! This meeting of yours is a violation of section 19a of the Midgar law code! Hands up, all of you! NOW!"

"Make us, bastards!" the leader yelled, firing at the trooper. A burst of blood and entrails exploded from the man's skull, and he fell, dropping his megaphone. His comrades soon returned the fire, but by this time, members of the crowd had also taken out weapons, and a full out riot had ensued. Cloud started to run frantically in the opposite direction, shoving people out of the way before he could get caught in the crossfire. 

Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted in his right abdomen, and he stumbled. A stray bullet had found him. Cloud's sword came loose and hit the ground just as he did. As he lay there, Cloud clutched his wound, feeling a warm, sticky substance seeping onto his hand. He used his free hand to grope around desperately for his sword, but another pain struck him in the head, and he fell unconscious.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Jim sat lazily on the couch, reading a comic book as his mother put some tea and cookies down in front of him and his sister. His mom looked down at him with disapproval.

"Thanks Mom!" his sister exclaimed as she grabbed a cookie.

"Your welcome, Lane," her mother answered.

"Yeah, thanks Mom," said Jim, who took one as well.

"Jimmy, don't you have anything better to do other than read comics all day? Something constructive?"

"I already finished all my homework."

"You could at least start studying for your tests on Friday."

"I'll do it later."

"Like when?"

"Friday."

His mother rolled her eyes as she walked into the kitchen. "I still can't believe that the honor society accepted a 16 year-old who does nothing but read comics all day!"

"I can't either," Jim muttered to himself.

"You're such a procrastinator," said Lane. 

"And you're a wannabe semanticist."

Lane was confused. "…Did you just call me a Satanist?"

"Yes Lane, I called you a Satanist," said Jim, rolling his eyes.

The 13 year-old smirked at him, but then shrugged it off, continuing with her cookies and tea. A few minutes later, the door connected to the parts shop swung open and their father walked in.

"Hello, Daddy!" Lane greeted.

"Hi Dad," said Jim.

"Hey kids," he said as he strolled into kitchen and over to his wife. "Shera, I've got some bad news. I'm being called back for active duty on Friday."

She turned around, disappointed. "Oh, Cid!"

Jim rolled his eyes. He could sense another parental clash commencing, so he grabbed his food and his sister, and quickly went into the shop. 

"Hey! What the heck are you doin?!" Lane questioned as she was pushed into the doorway.

"Just shut up and go in," he said, shutting the door behind him.

"Do you have to leave so soon?" Shera asked her husband.

"Jeez woman, I can't help it!" he said, annoyed. "They just told me today!"

"Well, how long are you going to be gone?"

"I dunno. Few weeks."

"Cid, Jimmy's honor society induction is going to be on Saturday!"

"Oh shit..."

"You didn't forget, did you?!"

"Of course not, it's just that when I asked my superiors to reconsider-"

"-You forgot about the kids, again. When are you going to start diverting the attention you put into your work onto your family?"

"Hey, it ain't my fault they keep calling me at bad times!"

"So why don't you just quit?!"

Cid was surprised. He didn't expect her to say _that_. Desperately, he raked his mind for a decent explanation. "Well, uh..."

"-I mean, it's ridiculous! You're a very good mechanic, and you can invent all sorts of things! Why can't you just stop working for Shinra?"

"Because...because I'm not gonna be able to support this family if I quit!"

"Cid, we have our own shop."

"Yeah, well it's not gonna be enough to send the kids to school! Look, I have to go to Junon, and that's the end of the matter, alright?! I don't wanna hear damn another word about it till I get back!"

Angry, Cid strode out the back and slammed the door behind him. He took out a cigarette and searched for his lighter. Once he had lit his cigarette, he took a long drag and blew some smoke rings. He hated fighting with Shera. At least their arguments weren't so one-sided anymore. Before they got married, Shera never fought back. 

But their fights had grown more frequent lately, mainly because Cid was away so much (due to CATALYST meetings, not just work). But there was no way Cid was gonna tell her about CATALYST. She had enough things to worry about with that store and the-

"We need to talk," said a voice.

Cid jumped, dropping his cigarette. He spun around to find Staniv watching him. 

"Geez, Staniv, you wanna give me a fucking heart attack?!"

"I'd think emphysema would kill you first," he muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

The pilot lit another cigarette and put it in his mouth. "So what do you want?"

Staniv looked at him seriously. "Cloud never came back."

"The hell you talking about?"

"Cloud didn't come back after his mission this morning. I went looking for him after I sent Yuffie off on a train. I couldn't find him."

"Maybe he's lost."

"Come now, he's not that dim. Did you talk to him this morning?"

"Yeah, gave him a pep talk right before he went up to the 50th floor. You think something happened?"

"That's what I'm thinking. You know, I heard that there was a big riot on the top plate in Sector 4 today."

"And you think he got caught in the action?" 

"Well, it is possible, but…"

"But what?"

Staniv bowed his head for a moment, scratching it. Then he looked up. "…Cid, do you think that perhaps…perhaps Cloud could have went up to his superiors and-"

"What, ratted us out?"

Staniv nodded.

"Aw, Staniv…"

"But it would make sense, would it not?" he asked. "I mean, Zack told me himself that the only reason Cloud joined was because he found out some young woman he has a crush on lives in Midgar."

"So what, you're sayin' that he's doin this just so he could find some girl?"

"It is possible."

Cid shook his head, not wasting a second thought on the possibility. "Nah, I don't think Cloud's just gonna commit himself to CATALYST so he could see some crush. Think about it, he could go to Midgar and come lookin' for her any time he wanted!"

"Well…true…"

"Don't worry about Cloud, he's a trusty guy. He's too serious about his whole thing. I can tell. He was pretty nervous before the mission this morning." He flung his cigarette to the ground and crushed it with his heel. "Anyway, we've gotta go search for him. You go to the west side, I'll take the east. We'll meet at Matris' at 11."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Cloud's mind swam as he regained consciousness. He stared at the ceiling for a second as he gathered his bearings. Soon, his memory of the riot came back to him.

'_Great, I get knocked out two days in a row,' _He thought to himself, his head aching. '_That sure won't impress Zack. Much less Tifa.'_

He attempted to get up, but a sting in his right side prevented him. Cloud had forgotten about getting shot. Slowly but painfully, he adjusted his head so he could look at the wound. He could see that someone had dressed it.

And that someone was sitting across from his bed.

She sat in an old armchair next to the window, sleeping. Actually, it was more like snoring, but nevertheless, she looked peaceful. The young woman was about Cloud's age, and she wore a pink dress and surprisingly, boots. She began to stir a few moments later, and she awakened to find Cloud watching her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, springing out of the chair. "You're up! Oh, I-I must have fallen asleep!" She looked a bit embarrassed as she went up to Cloud's bed, checking his wound.

Cloud thought he should say something. Maybe apologize for watching her. "Er…sorry for staring at you while you were sleeping."

She smiled and pulled a chair up to the bed, sitting down in it. "Oh, it's alright," she said. "…But if you were thinking anything perverted…"

"No! No way, I wasn't! I swear!!"

The woman giggled. "Hehe, don't worry, I believe you. You're lucky my boyfriend's not in town, though."

Cloud grinned. "Say, how long have I been out?"

"I guess about half a day. I found you up in Sector 4 after the riot this morning. It didn't look like any of the medical crews were going to help you, so I grabbed a friend and had her help me take you down here, to my house."

"Thank you very much for your charity, er...."

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Aeris."

"Mine's Cloud." 

"Pleasure to meet you, Cloud."

"I'm sure it is."

"Actually…" Aeris began, her voice wavering, "…I was a little reluctant about helping you at first. I'm not that wild about people who work for Shinra." She glanced at Cloud's SOLDIER uniform.

"Oh, I'm not…" Cloud trailed off, and decided that it was best not to reveal his real business. "Er, well…I'm sorry you don't like me."

"I mean, it's not that I don't like you, it's just that…" Aeris sighed. "My mother was killed by the Shinra…"

Cloud thought she was going to cry, but instead, Aeris tilted her head skyward and kept still, as if she were listening to something. He didn't know _what_ the hell was going on, but he spoke up to get her back to earth.

"I'm really sorry about your mother."

Aeris looked back down at Cloud, and then began to attend to his bullet wound, removing the bandages from it. "It's okay. I-it happened a long time ago. Besides, I have Elmyra. This is her house, and she took me in when I was a child."

Cloud winced as the bandages were peeled off, exposing the open wound. 

"Anyway," Aeris continued, "hold still while I use some Cure materia on this."

A bright light emitted from the green crystal marble she held in her hand. In a matter of seconds, Cloud's wound had healed. He attempted to sit up, but his wound still hurt.

"Sorry, my materia's not that strong," said Aeris, "I haven't used it very often. But my friend's a doctor, and she removed that bullet earlier. She told me to wait until the bleeding stopped before I used a materia on you."

With a bit of difficulty, Cloud finally managed to sit up. "The materia's fine. I guess I'll just walk it off."

"Walk it off?!" exclaimed Aeris. "You're not going anywhere, buddy, you've got to rest."

"But-"

"-No excuses. Now, I'm going to shower and make dinner, and you're going to lie right here in bed and relax."

"No way!" Cloud insisted. "You don't understand, I-OW!!! SHIT, THAT HURTS!"

Aeris pressed down on Cloud's side with her hand, forcing him to lie down again. "Stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes."

She swept across the room, locked the door, and made her exit. Cloud tilted his head back into the pillow. "Wonderful," he muttered. "One moment she's my savior, the next she's my warden."

He wondered if Aeris had taken his hacking gadgets. Quickly Cloud shoved his hand into his left pant pocket. Yes, they were still there. Well, at least he knew Aeris wasn't nosy.

Cloud sat up, and listened carefully. As soon as he heard the shower next door turn on, he made his move. He had to leave; Staniv needed these files. With a bit of difficulty, he got out of the bed, and quickly put his shirt, shoulder armor, and boots on. After grabbing his sword from the corner, Cloud unlocked the door and hurried downstairs. Just as he was going into the kitchen to sneak a slice of bread, he heard a voice.

"Aeris, how is that boy doing?" asked the woman in the kitchen. Cloud presumed this was Elmyra, Aeris' foster mother.

'_Aw, man,' _Cloud thought, '_I gotta get outta here.'_

Elmyra walked out into the dining area. "Aeris? Aer-"

She cut off as she noticed the open door.

------------------------------------------------------------

Cloud had ran out as fast as he could from the house, finally stopping when he was about a block away. He found himself in an ugly, deprived neighborhood. Walls were covered with graffiti, the streets were polluted, and people roamed around wearing old, simple-looking clothes. So it didn't take long for the realization to hit Cloud: he was in the Slums. Great. He had enough trouble finding his way around the upper plate; now he was _under _it. And he didn't even know what sector he was in either. Perhaps he could ask that guy over there…

"Uh, excuse me," Cloud said as he approached a bearded man wearing a long trenchcoat. 

The man glanced at Cloud, and looked away. Suddenly, he yelled "Mine!" and ran for a nearby trashcan. He searched through it and then stopped, pulling out a 5 gil piece from under a pile of cat litter. He grinned triumphantly as he walked back to Cloud.

"Ha!" He yelled. "You thought you'd get this thing, didn't ya? Well, finders keepers, ya bastard! _I'm_ gonna go buy lunch!" 

The man walked away, clutching his money tightly and shooting dirty glances at everyone he passed. Cloud, meanwhile, was genuinely confused.

"Weird," he said aloud.

"What's so weird about it?" asked someone familiar.

Cloud spun around.

"Aeris?!"

"He's hungry," she continued, "that's why he went crazy when he saw that money."

"How…how did you find me?!"

She grinned. "Elmyra told me. You know, for a SOLDIER, you're not very discreet about sneaking out." In a split second, her face suddenly turned to anger. "And _you're_ real polite! I nurse you back to health and then you leave without saying a word!!"

"Sorry, Aeris, but I really gotta go and find my friends."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just that…oh damn, I can't tell you!"

"Why not?"

"It's…classified business!"

"'Classified business?' What are you talking about, you're a SOLDIER! Everyone knows that all you guys ever do is kill people!"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Geez, you make my job sound so stereotypically evil. Look Aeris, will you just forget about it and leave me alone?!"

She put her hands on her hips and turned away. "Hmph! Fine, you can go off and find your friends! See if I care if that injury kills you!"

"You cared about it earlier," he pointed out.

"Well, uh…" she stuttered, realizing her mistake, "…Well, not anymore! Go ahead, leave! But I can guarantee that you'll never get though all those street gangs!"

"Street…gangs?" Cloud had to sound out the words. No one ever told him about any street gangs in Midgar.

"Yeah, you know, the ones who hang out on the trains?"

"There are trains in this city?"

"What are you, a tourist? You act as if you've never been to Midgar before!"

"But I haven't! I just came here last night!"

Aeris stared at him, a surprised look on her face "And you're going to go look for your friends? No way, I'm not allowing that. I have to come with you."

"Wait a minute, _now _you care about me?!" Cloud threw his hands up into the air. "What is with you, anyway?!"

"Look, I was pulling your leg earlier! Besides, you're injured, and you don't even know where you're going!"

"But how are you gonna help me get through all those 'street gangs'?"

She grinned, and then pulled out a staff from behind her back. "I know how to fight."

Cloud sighed. "Fine. You got any materia?"

Aeris took out two; a green one and a light blue one. "I've got the cure materia and another one, but it doesn't work."

"'Doesn't work'?" Cloud asked, picking it out of her hand. He examined it. "You're probably not using it correctly."

"No really, it doesn't do anything. It's a useless materia. I keep it because my mother gave it to me."

Cloud gave the materia back to Aeris. "So you keep it as a lucky charm or something?"

"Yeah, sort of," she answered, pocketing it. "Well, I think we should be able to find your friends without too much trouble. Where are they, exactly?"

"Sector 3, upper plate." Cloud thought that Staniv wouldn't still be waiting for him in sector 2, so he decided to go up to Matris' house.

"Upper plate? Well, this is going to be a long trip." Aeris looked at Cloud again with those twinkling green eyes. She smiled. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Yay, I finally got Aeris in! Anyway, the next chapter may take a while; I'm a busy person, you know (yeah, busy putting stuff off). Oh, and any constructive criticism is appreciated. Thank you!


	4. Destined Detour?

A/N: Yes, it's been a while. Hey, I have a life you know (and it happens to be busy). I'll try to update whenever I can.

4. Destined Detour?

"Ugh, that is soo disgusting," the blond uttered to her companion.

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"Reno, don't you think they'd get in trouble for doing something like that...in public?"

The tall redhead scoffed. "Elena, don't be an idiot. When you're the vice-president and a Shinra, you can pretty much do whatever the hell you want, and that includes exchanging saliva with older women in public."

That older woman was Scarlet Sheldon, or 'Scarlet Silicon', as Reno had dubbed her. She was a 38 year-old blonde on the executive board who was in charge of weapons development. At the moment, she and 24 year-old vice-president Rufus were standing in the hallway, making out like there was no tomorrow. Besides the two Turks, Reno and Elena, many other Shinra employees had stopped working to watch.

"Man," Reno said as he observed the two. "For once, I wish I was Rufus."

Elena stared at him. "Did you just say that you wished you were Rufus Shinra?"

"...Damn, I did, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did."

He shrugged. "So I'm a bit aroused at the moment. Elena, the next time that happens, I give you permission to kill me."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll be glad to."

A suited man with long black hair walked by the two 'lovers', a look of revulsion appearing on his face as he passed. He approached the two Turks.

"What's up, Tseng?" asked Reno.

"Vincent wants us in the meeting room," he answered. "He's giving out assignments."

"All right," said Elena. "...Uh, you coming, Reno?"

"Man," said Reno, as he angled his head, "this is turning into _some_ acrobatics act..."

"Reno!"

"All right, all right, I'm coming! Sheesh..."

"So what kind of assignments does old 'Claws' have for us today?" Reno asked as they entered the conference room. Another Turk, a bald man named Rude, was already sitting at a table, reading the newspaper silently. He hardly looked up as they entered.

"'Claws'?" asked Elena, taking a seat. "Where'd you get that name from? Vincent only has one!"

"Aw, he'd look better with two. It'd match so nicely with that little scowl of his. Hey, better yet, make it a chainsaw arm. It completes the 'freak' look, ya know?"

"I'd shut my mouth if I was you, Reno," Tseng warned.

"Lighten up, Tseng, Vincent's not even here yet," Reno said, lounging back in a chair. "He'd never know if I called him an uptight vampire."

"Oh yes he would," said a voice. The chair at the end of the table turned around, and there sat Vincent, glaring at a bewildered Reno.

"V-Vincent? Uh, sir…I-er, didn't...mean…to-"

"Reno, do yourself a favor and shut up," said Vincent, standing up. "Anyway, I have some assignments for you all. President Shinra held an executive board meeting last night, and it was decided that Shinra Inc. will be launching an invasion of the island of Wutai this week."

The casual tone in Vincent's voice when he delivered this news greatly contrasted with the surprise in Elena's. "We're... going to invade Wutai?" she asked. "Shinra Inc. is going to invade a country?"

"That is the plan. As I understand, the whole thing is political; it's a way to stifle public defiance of Shinra Inc. So our job is to continue investigating and extinguishing the anti-Shinra groups here and in Junon. Tseng and I will be sending you and Elena to Junon tonight to follow up our investigations on the groups over there. Rude and I will continue monitoring here in Midgar."

"Hey, you forgetting someone, Vince?" asked Reno, tilting his head up. "Ain't I goin' anywhere?"

Vincent stood up, taking out a file from under the table. He walked over to Reno and dropped it on his lap.

"Kidnap her," he said simply.

Reno stared at the picture in the file and then at Vincent, arching his brow in puzzlement. "What is this, some kind of joke?"

"I hear no laughter."

"So then," he started, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, "you just want me to...kidnap some chick?"

"The president has requested that I send someone out to kidnap her, yes."

"But why? I don't see how the fuck this is gonna help the invasion."

Vincent's face formed into a scowl. "Reno, do you enjoy your job? Because I will not hesitate to fire you if you don't stop questioning my authority."

Reno rolled his eyes uninterestedly.

"You don't believe me?" Vincent questioned. "You won't be the first Turk I've dismissed, you know."

"Oh, are we going to hear another story about Harris, the man-lovin' Turk?" Reno asked sarcastically. "Oh, god knows we can't have any _gay_ employees here at Shinra…Hmm, how bout the one about Vegas, the dumbass Turk who forgot to activate the safety on his gun? Oh yeah, I'd love to hear them all, s-GRRRRK!...grrrrrkk..."

Spit gurgled in the back of Reno's throat as a sharp pain suddenly jolted into his stomach. With wide eyes, he looked down upon the claw that had shot into his abdomen. It dug into his skin, allowing a crimson ooze to bleed through his suit. Vincent grinned at him cruelly as he twisted his claw, forcing Reno to hunch over and whimper in agony. The other Turks watched helplessly, too horrified at the scene to move.

"My toleration of your disrespect is wearing thin, Reno," he said softly, tightening his grip. "Firing your sorry little ass is one of the most merciful things I could do to you. After all, you've been asking for a good beating for a long time. But luckily for you..." he released his grasp on Reno, who slumped back in the chair. "…I'm feeling very forgiving today. Now, have you any more questions?"

Reno stared at Vincent in fear, frantically shaking his head.

"Good. I have nothing more for you all today." And with that, he turned and left the room, leaving Reno sprawled in his chair. Elena came up to him.

"Reno, are you alright!" she asked anxiously, holding his head up.

"He-he looked...so..."

"Looked so what!"

"His eyes...they were so…so _vicious…_"

"I warned you, Reno," said Tseng, who was pulling out the first aid kit from the cupboard. "Vincent Valentine is not someone you start using your smart-ass mouth on. Now he's gonna start keeping an eye on you."

"Tseng's right," Elena added as she took out some gauze, "You'd better stay on Vincent's good side from now on."

Reno sighed. "Yeah, I suppose I should. But the problem is…" he paused, exchanged a glance with his two companions, and made a devilish grin. "Which side of that ugly jackass is the good one?"

The amusement Reno had tried to play on his comrades unfortunately fell flat. "Good god, Reno," said Elena, shaking her head, "You morons never learn until you die, do you?"

A stone scurried across the ground, tumbling over various pebbles and weeds as it rolled along, finally hitting a lamppost with a loud clang. Cloud nudged it gently with his foot, and then pulled his leg back again, ready to kick.

"I can tell that people _love_ talking to you," said Aeris as the rock rolled across her path.

He shrugged. "I don't really have anything to talk about."

"Well, small chatter never hurt anyone. So, where do you hail from, since you're new to Midgar?"

"I work at the base in Junon, but Nibelheim's my hometown," he said, kicking another rock.

Aeris blocked the stone's path with her foot, causing it to bounce off the sole of her shoe. "Hey, would you stop doing that? It feels like you're ignoring me."

"Well, it's not as if you came with me just to have a conversation. Where are we now, anyway?"

She rolled her eyes. "We're in sector 7, remember? I told you when we passed that playground earlier."

"And is there a train station here or something?"

"Yes, we'll be taking that up to the plate. You know Cloud, I've noticed that in addition to your impaired ability to keep up a discussion, you also have an attention-span problem. Now if you ask me, I'd say that's a really-Cloud? Cloud?"

Cloud had stopped dead in his tracks, and Aeris had nearly walked into him. She saw that he was staring off into the distance, as if in a trance.

"I...I don't believe it..." he stammered.

"What? What is it?"

He extended his arm, which pointed at the building standing before him. There was a sign in front. 'Tifa's Seventh Heaven'.

"Tifa," Cloud said to himself, walking up to the door. "sh-she's here..."

"Cloud! Where are you-"

The door swung open and Cloud entered, his eyes searching the bar in an expeditious frenzy. The place was empty. She had to be here...after all, the door was open...

A rumble came from the pinball machine in the corner, and the floor beneath it suddenly sank down below the floorboards. The trick elevator came back up a few seconds later, except someone was standing on it.

"Tifa...?"

The startled brunette whirled around, and Cloud found himself finally gazing into her eyes. Her silent, twinkling eyes. These were the eyes of Tifa Lockheart, the girl and neighbor he had long nursed a crush for. She was now a woman, but she still had the same long flowing hair, the same brown eyes... Not a single thought passed through Cloud's mind at that moment. He could only stare, stare at the memory standing before him…

"Cloud?" she began, walking towards him. "...Is that you?"

"Ye-yes..."

"Oh my god...you look so...so different..."

The door burst open, and Aeris entered, looking concerned. "Cloud, what are you doing? We're going to miss the train! ...Oh, uh, hello..."

Tifa looked at Aeris curiously. "Uh, is this your friend, Cloud?"

Cloud snapped out of his trance, and turned to see Aeris, who was extremely confused. "Huh? Oh, Aeris! Uh, Tifa…this is Aeris, she was going to take me to the train station. Aeris, Tifa."

"Hello," said Aeris.

"Nice to meet you," Tifa responded, wearing a peculiar countenance.

"Er, Aeris, could you please wait outside for a moment?" asked Cloud.

Aeris looked at Tifa, then Cloud. She understood what was going on. "Yes, of course," she answered. "I'll leave you two alone."

"I just met her today," Cloud explained when Aeris had left. "She offered to take me up to the plate, so I wouldn't get lost. See, this is my first trip to Midgar."

"I see," said Tifa, feeling a bit better. "Well...I'm glad you came to visit! I'm surprised you even found me though...We moved here a few months after you left. How did you find out that we moved?"

"My mother told me," he lied.

"Well, I've lived over here for a few years now," she said, walking behind the bar. She took out two glasses. "Midgar's not all that bad, really, even if you live in the slums. You just kind of…get used to it…besides, I got this bar a few months ago. Right after..." Her voice trailed off she placed the glasses onto the counter.

Cloud, in an entirely reflexive move, put his hand on Tifa's. "Tifa, I...heard about your dad. I-I'm sorry..."

Tifa shook her head, and looked up at Cloud. "N-no, that's...that's okay. It's been nearly a year, but I've gotten back on my feet."

Silence. God, that was the last thing Cloud wanted to hear during this conversation. It went on and on…He desperately wanted to break it, to hear more of Tifa's voice and what was going on with her life. But he was afraid to change the subject. Fortunately, she took the liberty of doing so.

"You know, this…this place gets quite a bit of business actually..." she started, her tone somewhat hesitant. "Today we had 30 customers at lunchtime, which is more than usual, and it seemed like all of them had some kind of complaint about-" Tifa stopped suddenly, and then smiled. "Look at me, I'm just going on and on, aren't I? I'm sorry, I got lost in the story there..."

Cloud grinned. "No, it's fine. Go on."

She took out a bottle and poured a drink for him. "Oh, no, I don't want to talk your head off. But what about you Cloud? How have you been? What's going on with you?"

He replied with a shrug as he sat down, taking the whiskey. "I've been doing well."

"...I see you finally got into SOLDIER," she said, eyeing his uniform with a blank stare.

Cloud stopped sipping, putting his glass down. This was his chance. He had to tell her. He knew that the sight of his uniform sparked Tifa's hatred for the Shinra, but if she knew what he was really fighting for, she would...

"Tifa," he started. "There's…something that I have to...well, see, I-"

RIIIIIINGG!

A ring from the bar phone was the only thing stopping Cloud's confession from reaching Tifa's ears. She picked up the phone as Cloud kicked himself about forty times in silence.

"Hello?" she said. "...What? No! Oh, that Biggs...was anyone else hurt? ...You're sure?...Alright, I'm on my way. Please watch him, Jessie." Tifa put the phone down, a frown materializing on her face. "I'm sorry, Cloud, I have an emergency to attend to. My stupid friend got himself hurt in some riot. He's at the clinic down in sector 5."

"It...it's okay," he replied, clumsily getting up from his seat.

"Thanks for coming," she said, as they walked outside. "It was really nice to see you again. If you get a chance, come down and visit again, okay?"

"I'll be sure to..."

She smiled. After locking the door, she went down the stairs, setting off for the sector 6 gate.

"Tifa, wait!"

The brunette turned around.

"Er, uh...good...bye!" he stuttered.

Tifa giggled. "Goodbye, Cloud!" And she turned again, entering sector 6. Cloud watched desolately as the gates closed. In an instant, Tifa was gone, along with the only chance he had to tell her everything.

"Damn it!" he yelled angrily, kicking a stone off into the distance. "Shit!"

"Are you done?" asked a voice.

"...Go away, Aeris." he fumed.

"Nope. I'm going up to the plate with you, remember? Come on, let's go."

No response came from the SOLDIER staring at the ground in frustration. Aeris rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm not going to bug you about what happened with your girlfriend. Whatever the reason is that you're upset isn't my business, so I won't bug you about it, okay? Now come on, we'll miss the train!"

Cloud stood around for a few moments, and then finally started walking. "Let's go." He paused. "And wipe that damn smirk off of your face."

Yes, only two scenes, but they're still important. Anyway, do you like the lyrics I put at the top? I don't know, if you people don't think it conveys the chapter's message well enough, then I'll take it off.


	5. The Inevitable Return

5. The Inevitable Return

"Could I see some ID, sir?"

Staniv pushed the fake identification card into the young gate guard's hand, tapping his foot impatiently as the latter examined it. He knew the entrance time into sector 4 was a bit longer than that of other sectors, but this was ridiculous. Sighing, Staniv glanced at his watch. It was already 10:30. But there he was, standing at the gate and still searching for their spy. Staniv would have rather spent a whole day babysitting Lady Yuffie than 5 hours looking for a cocky punk like Cloud. This whole search was a waste of time. But Cloud was still in possession of the devices, and it was crucial for CATALYST to recover those back. 

The Shinra guard seemed to be taking a long time inspecting the ID, inducing Staniv to fear that perhaps the man could tell it was a fake. But he handed it back soon enough. "Thank you," he said, running a hand through his dark hair. "So sir...tell me, where might you be headed so late in the evening?"

"I don't believe that's any of your concern, young man," Staniv replied in an irritated tone.

The guard smirked. "No, of course not, sir. I'll just get my friend here to open the gate..." He leaned over to his friend in the booth, whispering something to him. The other man looked down into his console and pressed a button.

Something was up. The gate hadn't opened. Slowly, Staniv turned to walk in the other direction, only to find his path blocked by two other soldiers walking towards him. The guard stepped out of the booth. "Here's the man," he said to his comrades.

"Heh, you were right, Bill," one of the soldiers said, advancing on Staniv, "he does look like one of those Wutaian bastards."

"Alright sir," said the other soldier, "we're going to have to take you in for questioning."

"So, that's what this is all about?" Staniv asked. "Racial profiling, huh?"

"Well, we at Shinra Inc. do have to be careful these days, mister." 

Staniv grinned "Yes you do."

He flung his arm back, hitting the guard square in the jaw and knocking the kid flat on his back. At this, the other two came at Staniv, but he was ready; he dodged an incoming punch from one man, ducking down to deliver a punch to his gut and a kick to the head. A leg sweep brought down the other man, and before he could move, Staniv had jumped up, and placed his foot on the man's neck.

"Stop!" yelled the man in the booth. He had taken out his gun, and was pointing it at Staniv. "Just leave 'im alone man, or I'll make sure you won't wear a hat ever again!"

Staniv looked down at the man and took his foot off, grimacing. By this time the other two soldiers had recovered, and they ran up to Staniv, pushing him up against a wall and pinning his arms behind his back. 

"So, think your fuckin' kung fu treatment is gonna work on us, huh?!" the young guard shouted as he slammed Staniv's head into the concrete. While his victim moaned in pain, he shoved a free hand into his jacket, pulling out a gun. "I'm gonna make sure you get put away for a long time, you son of a bitch!"

"Hey, potty mouth!" yelled a voice from above. All heads turned toward the lanky figure standing shadowed atop the gate booth. 

"It's a girl!" exclaimed one of the soldiers.

"Yeah, and that's an old guy you're picking on!" she yelled back. "How 'bout we level the playing field?"

A flash of metal flew from her direction, hitting the guard's hand. His gun slipped out of his hand, hitting the ground with a clang. By this time, Staniv had regained his senses, and managed to grasp the opportunity at hand. He whirled around with a fist for the guard's eye, kicking him down before he could retaliate.

Staniv looked up to find the mouth of another gun staring him down. Before it could do anything, however, the soldier holding it fell, knocked out by a flying kick from the girl ninja. Behind her, the unconscious forms of the other guard and soldier lay bruised and groaning.

She grinned mischievously at Staniv, who simply staggered up to the wall and leaned on it, shutting his eyes and catching his breath. "Always have to make a scene, don't we, Yuffie?"

The ninja's grin fell into an appalled expression. "Make a scene?! What, not even a thank you?"

"Why on earth would I thank you?"

"Well, it's kind of a nice thing to say when someone saves your life!"

"What I _should_ do is scold you for disobeying me."

Yuffie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "_Scold me?!_ Come on, Staniv, if I hadn't gotten offa that train, you would've looked like a horror movie victim right now! Geez, I don't believe this…"

She crossed her arms irately, scowling at Staniv. But his stern countenance told her that he wasn't preparing to dispense a word of gratitude any time soon. "Lady Yuffie, as I have told you before, your presence in Midgar places your safety in jeopardy! I know you want to help, but you are just too young and too important to do so. …And, besides…" he paused, taking up his usual, confident air, "you needn't worry about me. I had the situation under control."

"Oh yeah, I can tell from all that blood streaming out of your forehead. ...Here, lemme see that..."

"Lady Yuffie, I am perfectly-"

"-We're going to have to stop the bleeding. Here…" She drew a bandana out of her pocket and pressed it gently to his wound. 

"Okay, there, yes...yeowch! Not so hard!! Ow! Ow..."

"Good grief! You were just preaching to me on how I'm too young to do anything, and now here you are, whining like a big baby. Fine then, you hold it."

Staniv held the bandana now, releasing some of the pressure. He glanced at Yuffie. 

"So how did you get off of the train?"

She wagged her finger, grinning. "Ah ah, a ninja never tells her secrets! It's a rule."

"And we all know that _you_ hold rules in only the highest esteem."

" ...Look Staniv, you can't send me back! Wutai's my home, and I could never just sit and let anything happen to it. It's kind of another rule. Just let me help, please!"

Staniv slowly sat himself down on the sidewalk, obviously still aching. He made no attempt to respond. Desperate, Yuffie quickly resumed her plea.

"Come on, Staniv, I really can help! I swear to Leviathan that I won't be a pain and that I'll work hard and-" 

Staniv suddenly interrupted her with a shush, holding his finger up to his lips.

"Wh-what? What's-"

"Yuffie, silence! I'm trying to listen…"

She sat still and soon heard it as well. "…Sounds like knocking."

"Yes. I think it may be coming from the gate…"

---------------------------------------------------------------

"What are you trying to do, knock the thing down?"

"I'm _trying _to get the damn guard to open it…"

"Cloud, the more you knock, the more irritated he'll be!"

Cloud banged once more on the gate with his fist. "Yeah, well, he deserves it for slacking off on the job. Hey, come on! Open up!"

The sound of static emanated from the speaker next to the gate. "Nope! First, tell me the magic word!" said a familiar voice.

"'Magic word'? The hell are you talking-hey, wait a sec…Yuffie?!"

He could almost hear the ninja grinning. "That's my name, don't wear it out."

"Why are you still in Midgar? And operating a gate?"

"Long story. Here, lemme open it up…"

A cackle of more static came out of the speaker, and Cloud and Aeris could hear the sounds of rustling from within the booth. 

"-Gimme a break, I know what I'm doing! Gawd!" Yuffie was insisting.

"Uh, Yuffie, you alright in there?" asked Cloud, who had guessed that Staniv was with her.

"I'm fine! We've got it under control! Just hold on…" 

Cloud guessed that neither Yuffie nor Staniv knew much about the operation of sector gates, so naturally, he and Aeris would be waiting a while. But Cloud didn't mind. He had finally found the other CATALYST members, and two minutes more of waiting to see them wouldn't make much difference.

"So…you know this girl?" Aeris asked.

"Yeah, sort of. Acquaintance."

"For a tourist, you certainly have quite a few acquaintances. So her name is 'Yuffie', right? It sounds awfully familiar…"

"Er, it's…a very common name."

After a few moments, a loud crash rang out from the booth, followed by a clink from within the wall. The gates soon separated and began their slow opening process. 

"Hiya, Cloud!" Yuffie greeted, as she jumped out of the booth. "Long time no see!"

"Yeah, if you call 24 hours a long time," said Cloud as he entered, with Aeris shadowing him. "How'd you get it open?"

"Ah, simple! I used an old trick that my dad usually employs when dealing with machines."

"Oh? And what is that?"

"Kick it." Cloud's eyes rolled. "Oh, come on, it worked, didn't it?"

Cloud grinned in reply, and glanced past her. His eyes fell on Staniv, who sat wearily on the sidewalk, nursing a head injury. "Hey Staniv, what happened to you?"

"Spare me the small talk," he said edgily, looking up. "All I want to know is if you-" He halted mid-sentence, a surprised look overtaking his face. "M-Miss Gainsborough?"

"Hello, Staniv," the flower girl answered, stepping up from behind Cloud. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Cloud made a jerky glance at Staniv and then at Aeris, knitting his brow in confusion at the sight before him. He hadn't splurged on the drinks at Tifa's, did he?

"What on earth are you doing here?" Staniv inquired.

"I was taking Cloud up here to the plate to see his friends. But, wow…I just never thought that you would be one of them! Well, no offense of course, but I mean…this really _is_ quite a coincidence…"

"Yes, I suppose it is…but-"

"Hold it!" Cloud interrupted, stepping in between them and facing Aeris. "You _know _him?"

"Well, yeah," Aeris answered, scratching her head. "only as an acquaintance, though, not personally."

"'Not personally'? What do you-" he stopped, and after a moment, he suddenly grabbed Aeris' shoulders, staring into her face incredulously. "H-hold on a second…are you?…You must be-"

"-Zack's girlfriend," said Staniv.

--------------------------------------------------------

An hour later the gang was in Matris' kitchen, and by this time, the shock from hearing the news of Zack and Aeris' social relations had more than subsided in Cloud's mind. He no longer cared that he had felt like an idiot for not realizing it at first, because after wearily sorting through the events of his day for everyone, he could barely keep himself awake to express concern about…well, anything. So while he sat at the table, his head slowly bobbing and then abruptly jerking back up every now and then, the rest of CATALYST were busy planning out the schedule for the next day. Cloud's haggard eyes glanced at the wall clock. It was 12 a.m. He sighed impatiently. Cloud wasn't known for being a night owl. He _really_ wanted some sleep. On top of that, he had a bullet wound in his abdomen. As far as he was concerned, Cloud really could care less if a meteor were about to smash into the earth.

Tomorrow, Cloud, Staniv, and Yuffie would be setting off for Junon, the latter two traveling incognito and separately from the SOLDIER. Cloud had forgotten that he still had to report for duty in Junon. Staniv would be going because he didn't trust Zack to run operations in Junon for an extended period of time, and Yuffie would be going because Staniv didn't trust her to act mature while he wasn't around. Yes, Yuffie had convinced him to let her join CATALYST, but everyone knew that she wouldn't be allowed to do anything. Staniv had privately resolved to find some way to ship Yuffie back to Wutai as soon as he had the chance.

"Staniv, could I ask you something?" said Aeris.

"Oh, god, please don't," he muttered from across the breakfast table, rubbing his temples haggardly. "I know what you are going to request, and the answer is-"

"Please, Staniv, I just want to see Zack again. It's been so long."

"Miss Gainsborough, I have to keep track of Yuffie _and _Cloud tomorrow, I don't need one more person to babysit. Why don't you just travel to Junon on your own?"

"How, on foot? You know I can't afford to pay for the train trip! Come on, I'm begging you. _Please._"

"Well, _I _don't think Aeris'll be a problem," Cloud said adamantly. Aeris smiled at him, but she failed to realize that he was only defending her because he had taken offense at Staniv's 'babysitting' comment. 

"Cid, Matris, would you care to help me out here?"

Cid, who had been waiting with Matris when they arrived, was leaning on the counter, impatiently reconnecting a laptop (for the millionth time) to one of the gadgets Cloud had brought back. Matris sat at the table, listening attentively. She could have fooled anyone, however; the lack of sunglasses on her nose made her look as if she were staring off into space with glassy eyes. After taking a moment to contemplate, Matris cleared her throat. "It is my opinion," she said, "that Aeris here is a very dependable young woman, and I don't think that her presence will pose a major setback during your journey."

"Ditto," Cid muttered absent-mindedly. 

"Wh-what?!" said Staniv incredulously.

"Then it's settled then," Aeris stated firmly, before Staniv could say more, "I'll be coming with you tomorrow."

"Aeris," Matris started, as she groped the tabletop for the flower girl's hand. Aeris gave it to her. "Aeris, I was just thinking that…well, since you were going to come along to Junon anyway, I thought that perhaps you might consider joining CATALYST."

Aeris beamed. "Matris, it would be an honor."

Staniv stood up baffled, staring at Matris with annoyance. "I don't believe this! Matris, you can't just invite whomever you want into CATALYST, this isn't a birthday party!"

"Staniv, it's only Aeris."

"Oh, of _course_! It's only _Aeris_, after all! And while we're at it, why don't we just get President Shinra to join us too? I'm sure he'd _love_-"

"-Bingo!" Cid suddenly yelled, interrupting Staniv's maniac attempt at sarcasm.

"What do you mean, 'bingo'?" Cloud said curiously.

"It means that I finally figured out how to make this son of a bitch work!" he said, motioning towards the laptop. A list of numbers was scrolling by quickly on the screen. Everyone's eyes (with the exception of Matris') darted to the monitor. 

"Ha!" Cid marveled, taking a drag of his cigarette. "Look at that! See? There ain't a contraption out there that I can't work out!"

"What is all that?" asked Aeris.

"Basically, it's 'How to Build Your Own Mako Cannon'! All the dimensions and supplies required are right in this file, and it even tells you the schedule of work that's gonna be done. Now, lessee, I think there's probably a picture of what the cannon's supposed to look like…" He pressed a few buttons, and an image of the Junon Military base opened out on the screen.

Yuffie gasped.

There was an addition to the picture of the base, an addition that consisted of a colossal 300 foot long shaft. Attached to it were several enormous pumps, some copper pipes, a crane, and all the other gears and machinery required to create the technological marvel that would be Shinra Inc.'s mako cannon. 

"It's huge!" Aeris exclaimed.

"_That's _a cannon?" asked Cloud. "Y-you've got to be bullshitting me…I've never seen weaponry that gigantic in my entire life!"

"Well it's real, and it's going to be a nightmare," said Cid, examining the other files on the device. "You're not going to believe the power of this damn thing."

"And if it hadn't been for Cloud here, we would not have this information in our possession right now," Matris remarked.

Cloud beamed, and the others congratulated him. Even Staniv acknowledged Cloud's good work with a hasty pat on the back. Unfortunately for Cloud, moments like these would be scarce in the upcoming days and weeks. But he had never joined CATALYST for rewards and accolades. Somewhere in the back of his mind lingered that cause which motivated Cloud to do everything that he did for CATALYST, and he knew that all of the work he put in would only continue to advance him closer to that goal. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was pretty much a filler chapter; there wasn't lot of character development here. But, to get from point A to point B (in terms of plot, I mean), you have to have chapters like this, right? Anyway, I'd appreciate some criticism here, so review please. 


	6. Beyond the Sea

6. Beyond the Sea

Needless to say, Zack was pleasantly surprised at Aeris' arrival at the Junon train station. So much so in fact, that he almost didn't notice that Cloud, Staniv, and Yuffie had come along with her. It was only after Staniv cleared his throat that Zack stopped 'greeting' Aeris ('greeting' being defined as making out fervently). Of course, it had been quite a while since the two had seen each other, so the awkward scene was somewhat understandable. Somewhat.

On Monday morning, Cloud reported to the base, ready for work. Maybe it was just the bullet wound, but all though that week, Cloud could have sworn that his commanding officers had upped the intensity of the training exercises. Five runs through the obstacle course, two hours of target practice, and four hours of combat training nearly killed him. And that was just the first day. On top of that, Zack was scheduling a task for Cloud on Friday night that involved sneaking into the base to look for some more information on the cannon.

There was actually an extensive buzz already circulating in Junon about the cannon. On Sunday, the day on which Cloud and the other CATALYST members were traveling, President Shinra had held a press conference announcing plans for the cannon project, which was to begin construction on Wednesday. He had explained to the press that the cannon would serve as the main element of Shinra Inc.'s new multi-million defense plan, to protect the city of Junon (as well as the eastern continent). While the announcement received much attention in the news, there was a noticeable absence of articles (at least in eastern continent newspapers) questioning why Junon and Midgar, presumably the most indestructible cities in the world, even needed a new defense system. One subject that the media wasn't afraid to touch on, however, was why construction would be initiating so soon. The president simply stated that the project had been in its planning stages for the past year and a half, and that it really was ready to be built without further delay. He even pointed out that supplies were already being transported to Junon.

Which was why Zack wanted more info on the whole project. For the past few years, Wutai and Shinra Inc. have been on not-so-friendly relations over the possibility of a reactor being built on the island of Wutai, a matter which Lord Godo steadfastly opposed. There was really a good chance that the cannon could be serving as a blackmail message to Godo.

But despite the excitement spurned by the announcement, it was really just a whisper in the wind compared to the uproar soon to be caused by what the President was hiding up his other sleeve.

Wutai was a country considered by many as one of the planet's last natural havens; a refuge left untainted of industry and bulky mako machinery. Though the splendor and beauty of its land and surroundings was easily flaunted in the presence of the sun, an altogether different yet equally awe-inspiring marvel could be seen at night. Because of Wutai's lack of skyscrapers and light pollution, one could watch an endless ceiling of twinkling specks of light slowly dance across the black scenery.

* * *

Thursday morning, 3:07 a.m.

Private Chen Kenichi yawned inertly as he stretched out his arms, one of them grasping his rifle. This certainly wasn't how he had envisioned himself protecting his homeland. As he stared down at the white crescent reflected in the sea, he again wondered if the great generals of Wutai were ever stuck doing the night shift when they were recruits. In all probability, they had probably been smart enough to steer clear of volunteering for night duty.

Oh well. He couldn't stand around whining about it now. His buddy Sakai had warned him about starting at the bottom of the pyramid dozens of times, but did he listen? Of course not. It was all because he was a stubborn dumbass, and stubborn dumbasses didn't go around taking good advice when it was-

"GRRRKKK! GUUHH…"

Kenichi's head tilted up skyward, his face static in a pained countenance. The SOLDIER behind him wrenched his sword out of the young private's back, allowing him to drop into the grass. He raised his free hand high into the air for a moment, and then swiftly swerved it to his right. His troops, who were 10 yards away, acknowledged with a salute and hurried off, making their way towards where their captain was pointing-the city of Wutai.

The SOLDIER soon followed. As soon as he left, a rustle of the grass sounded through the tranquil forest. The corpse shifted again, and its eyes suddenly flew open like a shutter. Before Kenichi's face was a green blur of grass and dirt, obscured by the darkness. The clouds over head pressed on, gradually allowing moonlight to pour down on him.

He was breathing very shallowly through clenched teeth; every breath he took only intensified the pain. It emanated from his back, scorching his nerves and jolting through his body in between short intervals, like a rapidly beating metronome. Slowly, he tried to shift his hand, moaning as he moved it inch by inch above the ground. This was really it. He was dying. Kenichi had never actually given it much thought before. Come on, what young guy has? But now he lay there, suffering through his last few moments, and he didn't know what to think, except for one thing. He knew full well what he had to do. He never thought that this moment would arrive so quickly. But it was literally do or die, now or never.

With his shaky hand, the nearly dead Kenichi winced as his hand gradually traveled to his vest pocket, pulling out a bright orange pistol. Summoning all the strength that had yet to leave him, he raised the pistol high into the air.

"May Leviathan…save…Wutai…"

He fired, and slumped down into the dust.

* * *

"Yes, Commander Kaga?" asked the woman at the door.

"Lady Kiiro, I apologize for awaking you," Kaga apologized, "but I must speak with Lord Godo at once. We have a crisis."

"What is it, Kaga?" Lord Godo asked, coming up behind his wife.

"Sir, we have just received confirmation that Shinra troops have landed on the island."

"Shinra troops…!" he repeated in a bewildered tone.

"Yessir. After we caught sight of a flare from the eastern coast, we sent some scouts out to investigate and…"

"And?"

Kaga hesitated. "…There are about 450 soldiers approaching right now, and the watchman, Private Morimoto, says that there's a fleet of at least 30 ships about 6 miles off the coast."

Godo shook his head. "I don't believe this…"

"Commander, how far are they from the city?" Lady Kiiro inquired.

He sighed. "Eight miles, your highness. We've sent out 3 units to hold off the first wave of troops, but it's only a matter of time before they arrive here at the capital."

"No it isn't," Lord Godo said with finality. "Sound the alarm, announce a code zero over the intercom. Make sure every man we have is outside in 10 minutes, ready to go. Call all the reserves to prepare as well. We cannot let Shinra enter the city."

"Yessir." He saluted, and made his exit.

Lord Godo shook his head again and retreated back into the bedroom to change. His wife stood at the doorway watching. "I have dreaded the arrival of this moment for years," he told her as he opened an armoire. "I've known it was coming and now here it is, and we're far from prepared for it."

"Godo dear, are you confessing that you doubt the dependability of your own army?"

He sighed. "I'm doubting myself more than anything. Wutai hasn't been at odds with any other nation in over 50 years. How ironic that it had to happen today, with me caught without my right hand man."

"Speaking of Staniv," she started, "did you read his letter? It arrived yesterday."

Godo pulled his long hair back, tying it above the back of his head. "I did," he answered, slipping into his sandals. He looked up at Kiiro, noticing the distressing way she hung head down in worry. He stood up, touching her face with one hand. "Kiiro, please don't agonize. I'm sure that once Staniv hears about what is going on, he will make sure that Yuffie stays out of sight."

"I know, I know…It's just that…I can't help thinking that Yuffie is all alone, in the midst of the enemy…"

"Please don't remind me," said Godo, planting a kiss on her cheek and heading towards the door. He halted in the doorway. "I can't be thinking about that now. I've got an army to command."

_

* * *

_

Junon, 7:35 p.m.

"-And the siege has just entered its third hour. Though details are sketchy at the moment, a spokesman for Shinra Inc. has provided us with a timeline of events leading up to the battle. At approximately 3:05 a.m. in Wutai (which would be 4:05 p.m. Junon standard time), the first four of a fleet of Shinra ships landed on the east coast of the island of Wutai. Wutaian soldiers patrolling the coast were dispatched, and 1,500 Shinra soldiers made their way to Wutai. Approximately 6 miles outside of the city, a surprise blockade of Wutaian troops awaited them. Though the Wutaians were easily defeated-"

"Pshh, yeah right!" Yuffie said aloud.

"Yuffie, please, I'm trying to watch," said Staniv, scooting his chair closer to the 13-inch TV screen.

"I agree with her," Zack commented as he wrapped his arm around Aeris. "Shinra's probably gonna 'exaggerate' most of these statistics they're putting out."

"-At a press conference this afternoon," the anchorman continued, "President Shinra stated that Wutai's refusal to allow any Shinra personnel onto the island along with evidence from several witnesses has given the company reason to believe that Wutai may be using their mako-rich land to manufacture illegal large-scale mako weapons, which would explain Wutai's refusal to have-"

"-That is total bullshit!" Yuffie yelled, standing up.

"Yuffie, please calm down," said Aeris.

"But it's more lies! My dad would never allow that to happen! I just can't believe it; a war is going on over in my home, and those Shinra jackasses are just dreaming up a bunch of crap to tell to the public!"

"Yeah, but we can't do anything about that," Zack pointed out. "Even though Shinra is full of a bunch of hypocrites who condemn the use of mako weapons when they themselves are constructing a damn cannon right now."

"The company's claiming that they're building it to protect Junon from Wutai's 'annihilation arsenal'." said Staniv, turning away from the TV. He sighed heavily. "I am going to kill that bastard Cloud when he gets here. _If_ he gets here."

"Staniv, you can't be suggesting that Cloud knew about this the whole time!" exclaimed Aeris.

"And why not?" Staniv contested, his tone suggesting that of a lawyer. "He's a SOLDIER; his superiors would have obviously given him information on it ahead of time."

"Well if they had, we would know too because he would never have kept it from us! Cloud is not a backstabbing kind of guy!"

"Yeah, Staniv, think about it," said Zack. "He got us the plans for the mako cannon. A true Shinra partisan would've never done that."

Staniv scoffed. "Hmph. They could be fake for all we know."

Zack threw his hands up into the air. "God, I just can' t believe you sometimes, you know that?"

Mike Sullivan, the owner of the house they were presently in, appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Mr. Traitor's here."

He shoved Cloud into the kitchen, keeping his gun aimed at the SOLDIER's back. "Geez!" Cloud told him. "You don't entertain much, do you?"

"Er, thanks Mike," said Zack, as the man exited.

"Cloud," Staniv began, casting a serious look upon him. He pointed at the TV. "Can you explain this?"

Cloud glanced over at the screen, which now displayed the island of Wutai marked with positions of the Shinra forces. His eyes drifted back to Staniv, who stood waiting for the answer.

"Staniv," Cloud started, "I swear…I didn't know-"

"-You're lying!" he yelled, snatching Cloud's collar, gripping it securely.

"Staniv! Please!" Aeris begged, standing up.

But he paid her no mind. "You're a damn SOLDIER and you're trying to tell me that you didn't know anything about this?"

"No!" Cloud answered, glowering at man standing over him. He showed no fear, displaying the audacity in his countenance. "I swear, I absolutely had no knowledge of it! My commanding officer kept us in the dark all week! If I had known, you'd be the first guy I'd go to!"

"A likely story. The news reports that General Sephiroth himself was sent in with the troops, you can't contest that!"

"General Sephiroth," Cloud said with a sharp tone, "was sent with the 1st and 2nd class SOLDIERs on Wednesday morning. They only told me today that they're planning on sending in the 3rd and 4th classes tomorrow. It was for security reasons. The attack was supposed to be covert, they didn't want too many people knowing."

Staniv made no attempt to respond; instead he directed a skeptical glare right at Cloud, never wavering. He tightened his grasp on Cloud's collar, almost choking him.

"I swear to god I'm telling the truth, Staniv," Cloud continued, "scout's honor."

"I'm having a hard time accepting the fact that you were ever a scout," Staniv muttered.

"Staniv, stop being such an ass," said Aeris, "if Cloud were lying, he would've never come back here. You're just going to have to accept that."

Staniv rolled his eyes, but he finally let go of Cloud. It didn't appear as if he was going to further argue his case.

"So Cloud, why're you leaving so soon?" asked Yuffie.

"Captain Stryver, my superior, told us that we would go if we were needed. And the last time I heard, they really need us."

"Funny, the news says that the Wutaian army is taking a beating," chuckled Aeris.

"Well, you know better than to trust Shinra's propaganda," said Cloud, taking a seat.

"Which is why we're going to use your departure for Wutai to our advantage," Zack told him.

"We obviously can't trust the news, so we're gonna have to get info on the situation straight from the horse's mouth."

"Wonderful," Cloud muttered, sarcasm tainting his voice.

* * *

The streets of Midgar's Slums were less populated than usual that night; most were inside glued to the TV as they continued to watch news reports on Wutai's siege. And of course, it was pretty late. As a matter of fact, the only person walking around sector 5 was a tall, scarlet headed figure. Presently, he stood outside of a small house, dialing a number on his PHS. He put the phone up to his ear.

"Valentine."

"Hey boss."

"Reno. How goes your assignment?"

"Actually, that's just what I wanted to talk to you about, sir. We've got a bit of a snag here."

"What do you mean?"

"Aeris ain't here, man. She skipped town or something."

"Her house is empty?"

"Nah, I'm right outside. But I talked to her mom earlier, she told me that Aeris left on Sunday."

"To where?"

"I tried to get it out of her but she wouldn't say. She was kind of wary of me, know what I mean? Distrusting."

Vincent paused. _"She might know that we're after her daughter."_

"That's what I figured. So what do we do now?"

"We're going to force Aeris' location out of the woman. Take her."

"Yessir."

Reno hung up and continued to watch the house. He didn't make a move. He was having one of those conscience conflicts in his head. It just came out of the blue; he wasn't supposed to have those anymore. Sure, maybe he did when he was young and idealistic. Back when he was a good kid and had actually possessed a form of ethics. But that was before the world screwed him over.

Still, something told him that it was just wrong to abduct a woman while she was alone at home, worrying about her daughter. Yet the prospect of getting beaten up by Vincent again halted this thinking, and then the thought of his higher-than-average salary silenced it for good. He pulled a tranquilizer gun out from his coat pocket, and approached the house.


End file.
